Tong-actuating device for well-drilling rigs



June 24, 1930. J. R. LUCAS 1,765,492

TONG ACTUATING DEVICE FOR WELL DRILLING RIGS Filed Nov; 28, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet l June 24, 1930. LUCAS 1,765,492

TONG ACTUATING DEVICE FOR WELL DRILLING RIGS F'iledNoxf. 28, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented June 24, 1930 UNITED STATES JOSE PH It. LUCAS, F MONTEBELLO, CALIFORNIA TONG-ACTUATING DEVICE FOR WELL-DRILLING RIGS Application filed November 28, 1924. Serial No. 752,563.

This invention has to do with improvements in well drilling apparatus and particularly in apparatus for operating tongs, or the like.

$1 At various times during the drilling of a well, tongs are applied-to casings or drill pipe carried in the rotary unit located at the.

center of the derrick. It has in the past, been common practice to operate these tongs by '10 applying a line connected to the, tongs to a constantly rotating head or spool in the drawworks located at one side of the rig. This method of operating tongs has several very distinct disadvantages and ismore or less dangerous. I am aware that devices have been recently proposed to overcome the disadvantages and difficulties experienced with the tong operating method just referred to. r It is an object of this invention to provide an improved tong operating device which is simple, effective and convenient in operation.

Another object of this invention is to provide a tong operating spool or head which cannot over-travel in a manner to become dangerous or destructive.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a spool for operating a line from tongs, or the like, which releases automatically upon completing operation.

' A further object of this invention is to provide a device of the character referred to, which is simple, effective and practical in construction.

The various objects and features of this in- '35 vention will be best and more fully understood from the following detailed description of a typical form and application of the invention throughout which description reference is had to the accompanying drawings in which V Fig. 1 is a plan view of a portion of a well drilling rig showing the draw-works and rotary unit of the rig and showing a typical application of the present invention. 7

Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view of the parts shown in Fig. 1 being a view taken substantially as indicated by line 22 on Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a view showing the parts provided by this invention, being a view taken as indicated by line 33' on Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view on the parts provided by this invention being a view taken as'indicated b line on Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a etailed sectional view taken as indicated by line 55 on Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a detailed sectional View taken as indicated by line 66 on Fig. 4.

Fig. 7 is a detailed sectional view taken as indicated by line 7-'7 on Fig. 4.

Fig. 8 is a view similar to Fig. 4 showing the parts in released position and,

Fig. 9 is a view taken as indicated by line, 9-9 on Fig. 4.

In accordance with the broader aspects of this invention, the device embodying the in- Vention may be applied to or embodied in various parts of the usual well drilling rig or may be installed as an independent unit in a rig, it being desirable, of course, to apply and arrange it in a manner to effectively operate tongs, or the like, applied to work arranged in the rotary unit at the center of the derrick. In the case of a standard or usual form of well drilling rig it is most convenient and advantageous to apply or embody 7 the present invention in the draw wor'ks of the rig. This is because the usual drawworks presents parts suitable for carrying out my present invention and is located at one side of the rig in a manner well suited for so the present invention. 1 will therefore proceed to describe my invention as applied to a usual or standard form of draw-works and will set forth a form of the invention suitable for applicationto the draw works as an attachment which does not require alteration or modification of the draw-works.

The draw-work illustrated in the drawings is of the usual form and is constructed inthe frame of the derrick. The draw-works includes a horizontal head board 10, located at -a suitable point above the derrick floor 11',-

and a plurality of uprights 12, which extend between a suitable sill 13 and head board 10. A horizontal .drive shaft 16lis mounted in the upper part of the frame in bearings 17, 18 and I 19; the bearings 17 and 19 being located on the end uprights of the frame and the bearing 18 being located on an intermediate up-' 1 right. The drive shaft 16 is driven from a suitable source of power, such as an engine (not shown) through a suitable drive 18 A horizontal drum shaft 19* is carried by the frame below the drive shaft 16 and is mounted in bearings 20. The drum shaft carries a large reel or drum 21, is familiar to those versed in the art. The drum shaft 19 is adapted to be driven from the drive shaft 16 through a chain drive connection 22, or a chain drive connection 24, controlled by suitable clutches (not shown). The rotary unit 31 located at the center of derrick floor 11 is driven from the drive shaft 16 through a chain drive connection 32 and a control clutch 33. In accordance with the usual arrangement the clutch and drive connection 32 are located in the draw-works between the drive shaft bearings 18 and 19. The usual spool or cat-head 34 is provided on the end of the drive shaft. It is this usual cathead that is commonly employed for actuating tongs applied to work carried in the rotary unit.

In setting forth my present invention I have shown it applied to the drive shaft 16 of the draw-works and located on the drive shaft 16 between the bearings 17 and 18 adjacent the bearing 18. The mechanism comprises, generally, a head or spool 35, a drive member 36, a releasable driving connection 37 between the spool and drive member, a manual control 38' for the said releasable connection, and means 39 for automatically releasing said connection.

The spool 35 is rotatably mounted on the drive shaft 16 of the draw-works and is preferably shaped and proportioned in much the same manner as the usual cat-head or winchhead. The particular spool illustrated in the drawings includes a hub ends with/flanges 41 and 42. In accordance with this invention the hub40 is provided with a recess 43 formed to leave a tongue or projection 44 suitable for receiving a line 45. The line 45 is preferably looped as shown in Fi 1. the loop being passed under the projection 44. A suitable retaining pin 46 may be arranged across the outer part of the recess 43 to retain the line in place. This construction provides a simple permanent connection between the line and spool. The line 45 extends from the spool to the outer end portion of the handle 47 of tongs 48 applied to a pipe 49, held in the rotary unit 31. Another line 50 is connected to' the spool andextends over a pulley 51. The line 50 carries a weight 52 which operates to return the spool to its normal position and hold it there.

The drive member 36 is secured on the drive shaft 16 of the draw-works so that it is positively driven by the drive shaft. In the particular form of the invention being described the drive member 36 is shiftable longitudinally of the shaft 16 relative to the spool 35 the function of which 40 provided at its and is thereforeslidably secured tothe shaft 16 as by a sliding key connection 50.

The releasable drive connection 37 is p'rovided between the spool 35 and drive member 36 so that the spool can be driven from the drive member. In the preferred form of the invention this releasable drive connection is a clutch connection including a clutch part 51 on one end of the spool 35 and a clutch part 52 on the drive member 36. The form and construction of the clutch may in practice be varied to suit various requirements. In the particular clutch construction shown in the drawings, the part 51' socket having radially disposed recess 54 in its wall or face and the clutch part 52 is conic'ally shaped to fit into the part 51 and is provided with radially disposed projections 55 adapted to seat in the recesses 54. In the drawings I have shown the projections 55 and forms a conical shaped recesses 54 rounded so that they will readily engage and disengage when the connection is operated. It is to be understood, of course, that the clutch parts are provided with a plurality of projections 55 and corresponding recesses 54 so related that they mesh or interengage to form the desired driving connection between the drive member 36 and spool 35. I a

The manual control or operating means provided for actuating the releasable drive connection may include a lever 60 pivotally mounted on a suitable part, for instance, the head board 10, an operating line 61 extending from the lever to any desired point in the rig, and a yoke 62 on the lever having a suitable connection with the drive member 36 whereby the drive member is moved with the yoke to engage or disengage the releasable drive connection.

The means 39 provided by this invention for automatically releasing or disengaging the releasable drive connection is preferably such as to disengage the connection after the spool has been driven or rotated a predetermined amount or to a predetermined position. In its preferred form this means is in the form of a cam device. The particular cam arrangement illustrated in the drawings comprises a cam part 70 connected with the spool and a cam part 71 connected with-the drive member on the end of the spool provided with the clutch part 51' and is rounded or finished projection. The cam part 71 is, in this particular case, formed on an arcuate carrier 72, slidably carried in an annular groove 73 provided in the drive member 36. In the particular form of construction shown in the drawings, the connection 36. The cam part 70 is formed 7 in the form of a suitably the arcuate carrier 72, the carrier yoke operates to hold or maintain the arcuate carrler 72 against rotation and in a fixed or definite rotative position. The cam parts '70 struction and that it does not involve or inv and 71, are adapted to engage or cooperate to move the drive member longitudinally on the shaft 16 to disengage the releasable drive connection. The clutch parts, spool, cam parts, and yoke, etc., are so proportioned and related that the spool is normally in a position where the cam part is at or close to one side or end of the cam part 71 and is so related to the cam part 71 that engagement of the releasable connection37 will cause the spool to makesubstantiall a complete revolution before the cam part 0 engages the cam part 71 to move the drive member 36 to release thedrive connection. With this particular relationing of parts the spool will be positively driven substantially one revolution upon closing of the drive connection 37 and will be automatically and positively released or disengaged in substantially the same rotative position from which it started opera tion. The cam parts 70 and 71 are prefer-' ably double ended, as shown in the drawings, so that the automatic releasing means operates in either direction. Further, in practice, it is desirable to provide a flange on the drive member 36-to back u or form a bearing for the arcuate carrier 2.

In operation the usual tong 48 is applied to the work in the rotary unit andthe line 45 is connected to the tong. The spool is normally maintained in'its unactuated position by the line 50 and weight 52. When the operator desires to actuate the tong the manual control means 88 is actuated to close the releasable driving connection 37 This. connects the drive member and spool so that the spool rotates with: the drive member and thereby winds the line 45 onto it, causing the tong handle to be drawn towards the spool. VYhen the spool has rotated a predetermined amount, whlch amount may be just sufficient to cause the desired amount "of movement or actuation of the tong handle, the cam parts cooperate to automatically disengage the releasable drive .connection 37. {The weight -52 operates through the line 50 to retli'rn the spool to its original unaotuated position. It

will be apparent that the apparatus provided by this invention [operates to automatically disengage and that it is effective in operating a ton or the like, a' predetermined amount without danger of over-actuation.

Further, it is to'be noted that the device is extremely simple and inexpensive of conclude'complioated or delicate parts liable to fail or become inoperative.

Having described only a typical preferred form of my invention I do not wish to limit myself to the specific details hereinabove set forth, but wish to reserve to. myself any changes orvariations that may appear to day of November,

those-skilled in the'art or fall within the scope of the following claims.

Having described my invention, I claim: 1. In combination, a drive shaft, a spool free on thesha'ft, a drive member operating with the shaft .and movable longitudinally thereof, a part connected with the drlve member and held against rotation, a clutch coni thereof, a partconneclzed with the drive member and held against rotation, a clutch consis nection between the spool and drive member controlled by movement of the drive member on the shaft, means for shifting the drive member to engage the clutch including a shift yoke engaging saidv part, and cam means for automatically moving the drive member to. actuate the clutch at a predetermined point of operation including, a cam on the spool, and a cam on said 'art.

In witness that claim the foregoing I have hereunto subscribed my name this 11th 1924. JOSEPH R. LUCASJ 

